Somebody over at American Honda thought it would be a good idea to give us one of its leftover, pre-production ’09 Fits. Our five-speed, Blue Sensation Pearl hatchback – complete with the Sport package and Navi – is scheduled to arrive in early November. We can’t wait. We’ve got a fairly extensive parts wish list in the works and are ready to get crackin’ on this thing the moment it arrives. Look for some serious coverage of Honda Tuning’s official Fit project throughout 2009.
Honda Tuning’s Winter issue will be available most everywhere early next week. You should have no trouble spotting it thanks to Chase McMaster’s K-swapped, CRX on the cover – a car most any forum lurker should be familiar with. Pick up a copy and be sure to read the full write-up on Chase’s rex. Other features include Michael Cristi’s (HeyMikeyyyy) DC2 build, Ojay Bayang’s ‘05 Element, and two wild RWD beasts from Tracy Sports. We shot the Tracy Sports S2000 and NSX during our trip to Japan earlier this year and, well, it was so hard to describe these two cars in words that we didn’t bother trying. It’s a new format we’re trying out called “JDM in Pictures” where we’ll explore the best Japan has to offer with cool photography and the bare-bones specs you need. We’ve also got updates on both Project NSX and Project TSX, an in-depth look at anti-theft tactics you need to know about compiled by Rodrez, Nisei Showoff coverage, and more. Don’t be cheap. Shell out the $4.99 and get a copy while you can. Incidentally, laggers will have an extra month to pick up this issue since it’ll stay on the newsstands longer due to our nine-issue year.
The C30A and C32B NSX engines have got to be two of the most hyped-up engines in terms of complexity that there are. I’m not sure what it is, but many NSX owners simply want the C-series to be more complicated and less like anything else Honda’s ever developed. It isn’t. In fact, the C-series V-6 is more like Honda’s, four-cylinder, B-series VTEC engines than many would care to admit. Of course, the physical dimensions of most of the parts are different in order to account for the 90-degree banks as opposed to the inline-four, the NSX has got titanium rods as well as the fact that there’s a difference of two cylinders, but the basics are pretty much the same. Take the front of the engine, for example. The timing belt, timing belt tensioner, and oil pump housing – they are all eerily similar to one another. If you’ve installed a timing belt on your B16A, chances are you can figure it out on a C30A. Sure, the NSX belt is a lot longer then the B’s, the engines spin opposite directions, and the pumps are geared differently, but the designs and tensioning procedures are basically the same. The similarities don’t end there. The valvetrain, including the valve springs, retainers, keepers, and camshafts are all pretty similar to one another as are the VTEC oiling systems, which include the solenoids, pressure switches, and camshaft rails. As you’d expect, doing valve adjustments on a C30A or a B18C doesn’t differ much either aside from the fact that with the NSX you’ve got eight extra valves to do. The various sensors, combustion chambers, ECUs, and cylinder liners are also comparable to one another. It doesn’t stop there, the NSX’s transmission is like a B-series’ inside too – it’s just oriented in the opposite direction. If you’ve ever rebuilt a D-series or B-series Honda gearbox, you’ll have no trouble with the NSX’s.
The point? Don’t be afraid of the C-series. It’s really just one big, reengineered B-series with a couple of extra pistons. As for the suspension and chassis, well that’s another story, and that’s what really makes the NSX special and arguably ahead of its time, even by today’s standards.
Filed under: Feature cars | Tags: CVCC, Honda Tuning features, vintage Civics
Our staff photog, Henry DeKuyper, recently returned from his trip to the Seattle and Vancouver areas. He came back with some great content from a bunch of locals as well as a couple of cars from A&J Racing, but we were especially stoked over this collection of mint-condition, vintage Honda Civics that he shot. You may have seen a couple of these at one of the SoCal-based Japanese Classic Car Shows over the last few years as these guys have been known to make the trek south for that. Simply put, these things are unbelievable. You think it costs a lot to restore your ’89 hatchback? Think again. Imagine trying to restore something more than a decade older than that. Many of these parts are no longer available from the dealer, which makes the outcome even more spectacular.
Filed under: Project NSX | Tags: Honda Tuning magazine Project NSX: Part one
Before...
Project NSX is now well underway. The car is stripped and sitting at the body shop and the drivetrain is in my garage. The car was fairly clean when I picked it up earlier this year – no dents, body damage, or accidents to speak of – but most of it had been repainted. Unfortunately though, the paint job just wasn’t up to snuff. I removed and disassembled most everything in my garage including the drivetrain, bumpers, and side sills and then pulled the doors, hood, and trunk lid at the body shop. Oh, before hauling the car off for paint I welded up all four sidemarker light openings, which by the way, isn’t as difficult as everyone makes it out to be. More on that later. It’s been about a week and the guys have already stripped most of the panels and begun prepping them for paint.
During...
Meanwhile, I’ve got the engine on a stand and the transmission apart. The laundry list of parts is fairly extensive but, basically, I’ve replaced every single gasket and o-ring there is without removing the heads; swapped in a new timing belt, tensioner, and water pump; did a valve adjustment; painted the valve covers and drilled and tapped them for breather tank fittings; replaced the transmission’s input shaft bearing along with a new SPEC clutch and flywheel; and spent the better part of two days scouring every inch of metal with Simple Green. You might be wondering why I’m going to all the trouble to stick the engine up on a stand but not crack open the bottom end. Well, for one, the leak-down test results were pretty phenomenal considering the car’s mileage, so tearing it apart and putting it back together with stock parts didn’t make sense. I am considering putting together a stroker package for it down the road though. I’m in the midst of figuring the crank situation out and, when I do, piston and rod calculations won’t be hard. This is at least a year or so away though. More Project NSX details to come.
